Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials

Abstract

Novel optical devices based on diamondoid-containing materials are disclosed. Materials that may be fabricated from diamondoids included diamondoid nucleated CVD films, diamondoid-containing CVD films, molecular crystals, and polymerized materials. Devices that may be fabricated from the diamondoid-containing materials disclosed herein include solid state dye lasers, semiconductor lasers, light emitting diodes, photodetectors, photoresistors, phototransistors, photovoltaic cells, solar cells, anti-reflection coatings, lenses, mirrors, pressure windows, optical waveguides, and particle and radiation detectors.

1 . An optical device comprising a diamondoid-containing material, wherein the optical device is selected from the group consisting of a photoresistor, a phototransistor, a photovoltaic cell, and a solar cell.  
   
   
       2 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one higher diamondoid.  
   
   
       3 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one higher diamondoid is a derivatized higher diamondoid.  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material is selected from the group consisting of a CVD-deposited film, a molecular crystal, and a polymerized material.  
   
   
       6 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one diamondoid selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane, and heterodiamondoid derivatives thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one diamondoid selected from the group consisting of tetramantane, pentamantane, hexamantane, heptamantane, octamantane, nonamantane, decamantane, and undecamantane, and heterodiamondoid derivatives thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The optical device of  claim 1 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one heterodiamondoid derivative.  
   
   
       9 . The optical device of  claim 6 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one heterodiamondoid derivative.  
   
   
       10 . The optical device of  claim 7 , wherein the diamondoid-containing material comprises at least one heterodiamondoid derivative.